Metal-feeding apparatus



H. C. ZENKE.

METAL FEEDING APPARATUS- APPLICATION FILED SEPT.5 1919- RENEWED AUG. 16.I92!- 1,417,440., Patented May 23, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

H. C.-ZENKE.

METAL FEEDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-5. 1919- mznswsn AUG. 16. 1921.

1,417,440. Patented May 23, 1922.

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HENRY C. ZENKE, OF RICHMOND HILL, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOlR TO SIMPLEX METALFEEDER COMPANY, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

METAL-FEEDING APPARATUS.

Application filed September 5, 1919, Serial No. 321,761.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, HENRY G. ZENKE, a citizen of the United States,residing in Richmond I-Iill, county of Queens, State of New York, haveinvented an Improvement in Metal-Feeding Apparatus, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My present invention relates to metalfeeding apparatus, particularly forlinotype machines. It is intended to feed into the melting pot of suchmachines type-metal in suitable quantities to maintain the level ofmelted metal substantially constant, and as nearly as possible at such arate as to maintain the temperature of the metal in the pot high enoughto prevent chilling by the fresh supply which is fed into it; in thatway preventing imperfect castings and economizing time and labor. Thedevice which I have designed is automatic in its operation, andordinarily requires no attention except to supply additional pigs orbars of metal when the sup-ply in the feeder runs low. Also it is heldin place by a three-point support, by means of which it may be adjustedto any standard melting-pot, and may be shifted from one to anotherwithout the use of tools.

To carry out the objects of the invention, I arrange a chute in whichthe pigs are deposited, and provide a float which determines the levelat which the hot metal in the pot is to be maintained. As pointed out,it is desirable that this level be maintained substantially constant inorder to secure sound castings. I provide a releasing mechanism for thepigs, and a stop limiting the extent to which the pig enters the meltedmetal; and I so connect the detent with respect to an operating part ofthe linotype that it is released only at times when it is desired toreplenish the metal in the reservoir. To eifect this, I provide areleasing mechanism, the connection of which to a positively actuatedpart of the mechanism is controlled and regulated by the position of thefloat, so that a part of the mechanism is actuated whenever thecastingmechanism of the linotype is operated; but the connection between theoperating mechanism and the parts which release the pigs is onlyeffected when the metal in the pot has been used until its level is aslow as is desired.

erative until the pig or bar has fallen below Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented May 23,1922.

Renewed August 16, 1921. Serial No. 492,872.

a desired point in the chute. It is preferredto have this point soselected that there will still be some margin of the bar left in thechute when the alarm is actuated, the connecting mechanism of the alarmbeing held out of operative position by the bar until the top of thelatter has descended to such a point that an additional actuation of thedetent would permit the entire remnant of the bar to enter the meltingpot. I referably use, instead of the short pigs whic are used forfeeding, a bar or pig of about twenty-five pounds in weight and twentyto twenty-four inches in length. By casting the metal in this form, lossby theft is avoided, as it is practically impossible to conceal the longbars or Without detection to remove the remnants of them from themachine after they have been melted off to such a size as renders themeasily handled. To serve the purposes of my invention 1 provide notchesin one or more edges of the bar, with which the detent engages, aspresently to be described.

The accompanying drawings show an embodiment of my invention. Figure 1is a side elevation of the device applied to the melting pot of alinotype machine, the latter being shown in section.

Figure 2 is a front elevation, looking to the right in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the releasing mechanism, looking in thedirection of the arrows 3-3 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an inserted plan of a detail.

Figure 1 is a plan view of part of one of the bars or pigs.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure .4, with the chute ofFigures 1 and 3 shown in section in dotted lines; and

Figure 6 is a perspective of the spider embraced in the three-pointsupport.

The chute is composed of right and lefthand members A A connected by thelugs A A and held together by the bolts A A, respectively. Secured bythe bolt A to the lug A is a hook-shaped member A", which projects belowthe level of the metal in the melting pot and determines the depth towhich the bar or pig is permitted to descend thereinto. The length ofthis detent is so selected that the amount of the bar which is loweredinto the melted metal is not sufficient to chill the latter.

The chute A is carried upon a spider C, shown in Figures 1, 2 and 6. Thespider is provided with hooks C C which engage under the ed e of theopening in the top of the pot Jag screws 0 c are threaded into thimblesC C, cast integral upon the spider; the lag screws 0 0* bear upon thetop of the pot and the lugs C C engage under the edge of the opening,thus clamping the edge of the pot between the screws and the lugs. Inplacing the spider in position, screws 0 c are withdrawn until the lug Dpresently referred to, is adjusted to position, after which the screws0" c are turned until they make contact with the top of the pot,preventing any accidental displacement of the apparatus after it is onceadjusted, since its weight is sufficient to hold it firmly in positionby gravity. The melting-pot is shown with the usual chimney B and lugs Bare cast thereon upon which the cover, which is not illustrated, ispivoted. An arm C is also connected to the spider and car ries theoperating rod G, presently to be described. This arm C extends acrossthe face of the chute and has a depending arm C, on which are cast lugs0 ,0 carrying the rod of the float, presently to be described morefully.

Cooperating with the spider C is a wedgeshaped or bevelled lug Dattached by the screw (Z to a plate D which carries the operating parts.The bevelled lug D is formed with a slot on one side of it, in which isa screw (Z v securing it to the plate, so that the lug is. capable ofvertical adjustment,

thusperinitting it to bear upon the lug B of the melting pot and as itis raised or lowered altering the angle at which the chute A stands withreference to the melting pot,

thus permitting adjustment over a considerable angle. As the varioustypes of linotype machines have parts which differ somewhat in shape andthickness, this arrangement enables me to manufacture a single type offeeding apparatus and adjust it for any one of the standard machines.

The plate D is secured to the back of the chute by means of the bolts(Z, (Z, cooperating with lugs VA cast upon the side of the chute (seeFig. 1). A lug D (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and in full lines inFigs. 1

and 3) and other lugs (Z (Z (shown best in Fig. 3) are cast upon theinner face of the plate D. D serves to hold a spring E which willpresently be described. All of the operating parts of the levercontrolling the feed are carried by the plate D, and will be bestunderstood from the rear view of Figure In this figure, E is the detentfor the bar or pig, the bottom part of which, E, is projected beneaththe chute and engages with the pig or bar which is to be fed. This leverE is pivoted at e to the plate D, and is of bell-crank form, having aprojecting arm E which bears upon the spring E carried by the lug D.Another lever E is pivoted at e and is provided with a lug E*, whichbears upon the lug D on the rear of the plate D, preventing the leverbeing pressed away from the lever-arm E; a projecting arm E from thelever E actuates the arm E of the lever E and a spring E cooperates withthe lever E being seated in a lug on the arm E and bearing against thelug d on the rear of the plate D. Pivoted by a bolt 6 to the lever isanother arm E carrying a wearing plate E having a sharp engaging edge.The lug E on the lever E bears against an adjusting screw '6 by means ofwhich the edge of the wearing plate E may be raised or lowered to bringit nearer to or further from the operating part with which that platecooperates, presently to be described, and thus determine the extent towhich the float may be lowered before feeding meta-l into the pot.

At F (see Figs. 1 and 2) is a bell of the ordinary bicycle type, havingan operating handle F A lever F has a head F which may be brought atdesired times into the path in which is located the handle F This lever(see Figs. 2 and 3 particularly) is pivoted at 7 upon the lever E of thefeed mechanism. In Figure 1, the lever F moves in the planeof the sheetand in Figures 2 and 3 in a path normal to the plane of the sheet,around the stud f. As will be seen from Figure 1, so long as there is abar of metal in the chute the lower end of the lever F will be held toits full line position by the bar and the upper end with the head F willbe outof the plane in which the handle F is located, so that the bellwill not sound. If, however, the metal has been melted away until thelower end of the bar comes below the end of the lever F, as shown indotted lines in the lower part of Figure 1, then the head F of the leverwill fall to the dotted line position and when the lever E is pressed tothe left, the bell F will be rung every time the machine is operateduntil a fresh bar is put into the chute.

At G (see Fig. 2) is shown the operating rod for the apparatus. 1 haveindicated at L a small face-plate which is connected to a suitable partof the linotype machine, so that at every operation of the castingmechanism the face plate L will. press the rod G to the left. Secured tothe rod G is a frame G to the end of which is secured a pin 9 uponwhich, and upon a stud 0 on the arm C of the spider, is arranged aspring G which tends to hold the rod G to the ri ht. At M is shown anoperating button attached to the rod G, and projecting slightly belowthe frame G the left-hand end of the rod G (see Fig. 2) is bent over andcarried through an angle-bar'H to the other end of which is secured arodLmoving in the lugs 0 07, in the arm C of the frame of the spider'C.A collar 2' is secured to the rod 1,

and the spring I bearing on the lug 0, tends to hold up the rod 1; atthe bottom of the rod is the float K, of cast iron or other refractorymetal.

The operation of the device just described is as follows: So long as themetal in the pot B sustains the float K at a proper height, the bar H isheld up so as to hold up the rod Gr, carrying the button M above theedge of the wearing plate E and as there is metal in the chute the headF of the lever F is out of the path of the handle F of the bell. Underthese conditions whenever the casting mechanism of the linotype isoperated the face-plate L forces the rod G to the left in Figure 2,carrying with it the button M, which, however, does not engage with thewearing-plate E so that the lever E is not operated and does not operatethe lever E to release the detent E, which thus holds the bar in place.When the level of the metal in the pot has fallen so low that the floatK no longer holds up the bar H, the button M descends until it engageswith the edge of the plate E the position of which is adjusted by meansof the screw E and lug E so as to come into the path of the button Mwhen the metal in the pot is at a desired level. Under these conditions,the lever E is forced to the right in Figure 3, or the left in Figure 2,forcing down the arm E against the action of the springs E and E thusforcing down the arm E of the lever E, causing that lever to turn aroundits pivot c and withdrawing the lip E on the bottom thereof from beneaththe bar, so that the latter descends until it is engaged by the hook AIt will be observed that the bar N has notches n in its corner withwhich the lip E of the lever E may engage. As soon as a sufiicientamount of the metal has melted off so that the bar slides down farenough, the lip E engages with one of the notches n and holds up the baruntil the feeding mechanism is brought into action again by the descentof the float K. 'When the bar descends to the position shown in dottedlines in the lower part of Figure 1, the end of the lever F is permittedto move to the rightin Figure 1, the head F of the lever falls into thepath of the handle F and the alarm is operated at every actuation of thelinotype casting-mechanism until the new bar of metal is inserted intothe chute, putting the lever out of registry with the bellhandle.

It will be observed that the feeding device is wholly self-contained andmay be removed instantly whenever it is necessary or desirable to do so,without tools, by lifting it out of its place and laying it aside. Inpractice it never gets too hot to be handled comfortably with the barehand. To shift it from one type of machine to another may require slightadjustmentof the lug D if the two machines are of different styles; butthis is easily done with a screw-driver, and there are no nuts, bolts,chains or pulleys to be altered or moved or removed.

It is obvious that changes might be made in the action of the apparatusor in its arrangement without affecting the scope of my invention andthese I aim to cover by the claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. Metal-feeding apparatus for line-casting machines, comprising a chutefor the cold metal, means for feeding the cold metal at desired times, amelting pot, and a three point support for the feeding apparatusembracing a spider over the opening in the melting pot, the entireapparatus being held in position by gravity only.

2. Metal-feeding apparatus for line-cast ing machines, comprising achute for the cold metal and means for feeding it at desired times, amelting pot, and a spider carrying the metal-feeding apparatus, thelatter being supported at three points over an opening in the meltingpot, one of the points of support being adjustable to vary the angle ofinclination of the chute.

3. Metal feeding apparatus for type-casting machines, comprising a chutefor the cold metal, means for feeding the metal, such means operated bya moving part of the ma chine, a melting pot, and a spider supportingthe chute and feeding apparatus over the melting pot, the supportincluding the spider having three points of contact on the pot.

4. Metal feeding apparatus for type-casting machines, comprising a chutefor the cold metal, a detent for the metal holding it in the chute,means for actuating the detent at desired times, a melting pot, andmeans for supporting the apparatus including a spider, the supportingmeans having three points of contact upon the pot, and holding theapparatus in position by gravity.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification thistwenty-ninth day of August, 1919.

HENRY C. ZENKE.

